Anti-clogging sliver feeding and coiling apparatus



y 1962 P. c. WOODBURY 3,035,311

ANTI-CLOGGING SLIVER FEEDING AND COILING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1958 /0 /fiA M INVENTOR.

B401 6. Waaaaues y 2, 1962 P. c. WOODBURY 3,035,311

ANTI-CLOGGING SLIVER FEEDING AND COILING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,035,31l Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,311 ANTLCLOGGING SLIVER FEEDING AND COILING APPARATUS Paul C. Woodbury, Old Garden Road, Rockport, Mass. Filed Dec. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 780,560 2 Claims. (Cl. 19-159) This invention relates to textile and rope manufacture of materials such as cotton, wool, nylon, other natural and synthetic fibers and mixtures thereof. More particu larly the invention is directed to an improved apparatus and method whereby each sliver of said materials after being formed and fed in an improved manner during a portion of a coiling operation is made to progressively advance continuously without clogging and stoppage, which otherwise is frequently found to occur during said coiling operation, thus providing superior performance and higher output than heretofore for like or equivalent operation, which apparatus can be readily installed in new as well as existing machines at low cost and with a minimum of modification, which improved method shall involve the coacting application of air pressure to the sliver feed coiling operation to effect economy by eliminating any need for liquid lubricating means or other structural expedients heretofore applied to the sliver to overcome said clogging and stoppage, and which shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction and method, combination of elements, arrangement of parts and steps of the method which will be exemplified in the construction and method hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

The improved apparatus and method herein will be described as applied in manufacturing rope on a commercially successful scale.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of the apparatus for effecting the sliver formation and sliver can loading operation in the manufacture of rope shown partly simplified in diagrammatic form embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a relatively enlarged elevational view of the sliver can and associated feeding and coiling mechanism, partly broken away to show interior construction.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the feeding mechanism shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 in FIG. 3 showing the drive and coiling mechanism portion,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary relatively enlarged sectional view taken along line 66 in FIG. 3 showing the position of the sliver between the feed rollers, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the feed roller mounting and drive construction corresponding to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, dot and dash lines indicating the swinging movement of the yoke carrying one of the rollers for access to the underlying upfacing end of the passageway through which the sliver travels.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes generally that portion of rope manufacturing machinery comprising sliver formers 12 which transform relatively thin, flattened webs W of prepared and combed fibers into slivers S normally of circular or elliptical cross-section and coilers which in turn deposit the slivers S into upper open end 31a of cylindrical sliver cans 31 in a helically coiled state.

Although, in FIGS. 1 and 2, machinery portion 10 is shown as simultaneously handling a plurality of webs W and slivers S, for the sake of simplicity and clarity of language, machinery portion 10 will be hereinafter described as relating to a single web W and sliver S.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, sliver former 12 is located to receive web W conveyed from a breaker spreader of which only portion of rotating dispensing drum 11 is shown with the web W being peeled therefrom to pass between a pair of converging guide plates 13 positioned in alignment with and in advance of a constricting means or trumpet 14 whereby the web W is reshaped into sliver S. Spaced forwardly of the trumpet 14- a pair of rollers 15 and 15a are mounted to turn with shafts 16 and 16a, respectively, which are suitably driven in opposite directions to draw sliver S through trumpet 14 and advance same toward coiler 20.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, coiler 20* includes a rotary platform 30 supporting the bottom closed end of sliver can 31, upper open end 31a of said can 31 extending beneath a rotary depositor or feeder 21. The latter may be supported on a suitable stanchion 20a upstanding from a floor base plate 2012 on which said platform 3% turns to overhang sliver can 31.

Rotary feeder 21 has a lower plate 22 suitably attached at one portion thereof to the upper end of stanchion 20a, the remaining portion of plate 22 extending horizontally to overhang sliver can 31 and formed with a central circular opening 22a concentrically positioned with respect to sliver can open end 31a. Also concentrically positioned above said opening 22a is a coiler gear 23 formed with a horizontally disposed gear wheel 23ahaving peripheral teeth 23h and an upstanding portion 230 having an inclined spout or passageway 23d extending therethrough, underside of rim portion 23b of gear wheel 23a being supported for rotation in annular seat 22b formed on plate 22 so that gear teeth 23h mesh with a a power driven gear 32b. Inclined passageway 23d may extend downwardly at about a 30* angle to a vertical plane from upper spout opening or input end 23e located concentric with respect to the axis of rotation of coiler gear 23 to a lower opening or output spout end 23 the latter being radially displaced from said axis of rotation.

A suitable feeder 24 may be located to direct and advance sliver S into and through spout 23d, and as seen from FIGS. 3 and 6, feeder 24 may include a bell-shaped interposing shield or cap 24a hinged by a pair of integrally formed arms 24b which pivot on bar 240, the latter being supported by spaced brackets 24d upstanding from feeder lower plate 22. Extended downwardly from a rim portion of shield 24a opposite hinge arms 24!) there may be provided a spacer leveling foot 24:: for resting on bottom plate 22 to maintain shield 24a in position about and free from coiler gear 23. A central through-opening 24 is provided in the top portion of shield 24a through which a flanged terminal upper spout end 23g of upstanding portion 230 freely projects to position passageway input opening 232 for receiving sliver S being advanced by a pair of rollers 24g and 2411. The latter, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 may be mounted in turn with shafts 224i and 24 shaft 2 3i being journalled in spaced apart bearing blocks 24k and 24m upstanding from shield 24a. A bevel gear 24n is mounted to turn withan extended end of shaft 24-i and to mesh with a drive bevel gear 320 and a spur gear 24p is provided to turn therewith and to mesh with an aligning spur gear 24c carried with shaft 24 The lattter may be suitably mounted to extend in swingable parallel spaced relation to shaft 241' being journalled in a yoke 24r pivoted to spaced apart supports 24s upstanding from shield 24a. Yoke 24r permits shaft 24 carrying roller 24h with spur gear 24 to swing on a pin 24: extending through supports 24s into and away from operative position shown in FIG. 6 thereby facilitating access to passageway input opening 232.

Positioned to extend over and about rollers 24g and 24h is a removable guard member 25 having a centrally located trumpet 25a shaped and sized to receive and compress sliver S and to direct same downwardly between rollers 24g and 2411, for feeding and constantly advancing sliver S into and through spout 23d. As is clear from FIGS. 6 and 7, guard member 25 may be provided with semi-circular flanges 25b which ride on hub portions 24a and 24v on opposite ends of rollers 24g and 2411, respectively.

Rotary feeder 21 is enclosed in a suitable movable cover or casing 26, formed with a top portion 26a and side wall 26b, the latter resting when in closed casing position on bottom plate 22. A portion of casing 26 may be secured to plate 22 by hinged connection 260 for swinging the casing up to an open vertical position to give access to the above described parts of feeder 24.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, casing top portion 26:! included a central detached rectangular shaped panel 26d which may be hinged independently of casing 26 to brackets 24d as at 2612. Panel 26d has an opening 26 aligning with trumpet 25a through which sliver S passes into coiler 20.

A feature of the invention is the use of a gaseous pressure force, such as may be provided by controlled compressed air aiding and supplementing the advancing movement of sliver S through coiler 20. To this end an air pressure source of any well known construction may be conducted to or mounted on housing top portion 26a. As here shown a blower 27 having a housing 27a for a fan 27b of the radial blade type driven by electric motor 270 provides air pressure. Said housing 27a has an intake opening 27:! communicating with the atmosphere and a pressure delivery line 27a entering housing top portion 26a. A slide gate valve 27f may be provided in line 27c for controlling the effective air pressure in casing 26 as visually indicated by a pressure gauge 28 mounted on housing 27a.

Rotary platform 39 on which sliver can 31 turns may be of any suitable construction and as here shown has a gear wheel tooth periphery 30a horizontally disposed for rotation in an annular seat 20c surrounding an opening 20d of base plate 20b and has said gear teeth 30a mesh with a drive gear 33b in a manner similar to coiler gear 23 described above but through reduction gearing 330 at the lower end of drive shaft 33 as is clear from FIG. 3.

Sliver former 12 may be driven from any convenient power source through a suitable power transmission mechanism of rope manufacturing machinery (not shown) which may include chain 18a driving a gear 18 mounted to turn with an extended end of shaft 16, the opposite end of shaft 16 may carry a spur gear 17 meshing with gear 17a on shaft 16a for turning roller a to coact with roller 15 in drawing sliver S through trumpet 14.

Coiler may be driven from the same power source as sliver former 12 which may interconnect with a horizontally extending power drive shaft 29 terminating in a bevel drive gear 29a meshing with a pair of driven bevel gears 32a and 33a mounted to turn vertically disposed drive shafts 32 and 33, respectively, in opposite directions. Thus drive shaft 32 through drive gear 32b rotates coiler gear 23 and feed rollers 24h and 24g in one direction while drive shaft 33 through reduction gearing 33c and drive gear 33b drives rotary can platform 30 in an opposite direction and at a reduced required speed.

From the above description and drawings the invention will now be apparent. As to the operation of machinery 10 and particularly coiler 20 when used to manufacture nylon rope relatively thin fibrous web W is formed in the well understood manner and conveyed from a carding apparatus by drum 11 from which it is peeled off and passes between converging guide plates 13 into and through trumpet 14 where it is compressed and is advanced in passing between sliver former rollers 15, 15a expanding after leaving the latter as sliver S of circular or oval cross-section. Sliver S then in a slack condition enters coiler 20 through opening 26 in casing panel 26d and next passes through guard member trumpet 25a where it is again compressed and advanced in passing between feeder rollers 24g, 24h, rollers 15, 15a and feeder rollers 24g, 24h being driven in timed relation to advance sliver S in compressed condition at a uniform speed of approximately feet per minute and maintaining sliver S in a loose loop between sliver former 12 and coiler 20. Upon leaving feeder rollers 24g, 24h the compressed form of sliver S expands and enters inclined passageway 23d of coiler gear 23. Passageway 23d as seen in FIG. 5 may be of oval shape in cross-section to facilitate coiling movement of the advancing sliver S therethrough. Coiler gear 23 on being rotated at a constant speed in a counterclockwise direction through drive gear 32b causes passageway output end 23f to move in a circular path and lays sliver S passing therethrough in a helical stacked position in can 31. The rotation of the latter carried on platform 30 and turning in a clockwise direction aids in drawing sliver S through passageway 23d.

In order to eliminate frequent clogging of sliver S in the region of the advancing movement of sliver S above, below and within passageway 23d, an air pressure force is provided to accompany sliver S therethrough and is utilized to supplement the mechanical feeding actions of rollers 24g, 24h and that which may be caused by the differential rotation of the can 31 clockwise, and coiler gear 23 with sliver S advancing therethrough turning counter clockwise. To that end blower 27, through delivery line 27c and manually controlled by gate valve 27 is made to operate and maintain in casing 26 an increased air pressure force with respect to the surrounding atmosphere the pressure being indicated by gauge 28. The application of said air pressure force causes air to flow into and through passageway 23d simultaneously with the sliver S as it is fed therethrough which appears to have a lubricating effect, that is, reduces the friction between the surface of the sliver S and the walls of the passageway 23d and also to augment the propelling force applied to the sliver advancing movement for coiling same in can 31, thereby reducing to a minimum clogging, tendency to clog and stoppage of machine operations.

It has been found that where sliver S advances at approximately 120 feet per minute and using a sliver can 31 of approximately 12" in diameter, rotation of coiler gear 23 at 74 rpm. in a counter clockwise direction and sliver can 31 at 4 r.p.m. in a clockwise direction when the air pressure within the casing 26 is maintained at about .035 lb. per square inch, that is, about one inch of water, above atmospheric pressure satisfactory commercial plant operations result.

As to the improved anti-clogging sliver feeding and coiling method, fibrous web W is shaped and compressed into sliver S by being drawn through trumpet 14 by rollers 15, 15a. Expanding after leaving the latter, sliver S is then fed into the enclosure of casing 26, and is again compressed by being mechanically drawn by rollers 24g and 2411 through guard member trumpet 25a. Upon leaving rollers 24g and 2411 the advancing sliver S on expanding is fed into and through rotating passageway 23d of coiler gear 23 by which it is coiled into a helical stack in can 31. A drawing force caused by friction of sliver S with the sides of can 31 or the underlying coils is continuously applied to the coiling sliver S by rotating can 31 in a direction opposite to that of passageway 23d. Simultaneously with the above described mechanical feeding and coiling of sliver S a gaseous pressure force is applied to fiow into and through the passageway with said sliver S by maintaining in said enclosure of casing 26 about .035 lb. per square inch air pressure, that is, about one inch of water, above atmospheric pressure whereby the gaseous pressure force exerted through passageway 23d acts as a lubricant between the surface of sliver S and the wall of passageway 23d and augments coiling forces being applied to advance the sliver through said passageway 23d, the latters output end 23 communicating with the atmosphere through an approximately 2 inch space between can upper end 31a and lower plate 22 of coiler 20.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an improved anti-clogging sliver 'feeding and coiling apparatus and method in which the several objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various other possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes in the embodiment above set forth might be made, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a sliver anti-clogging coiler including a can having an open top for receiving stacked turns of a helically wound sliver comprising a platform supporting said can for rotation in upright position, a sliver feeder including; a coiler gear, a lower plate supporting said coiler gear above said can for rotation on a substantially vertical axis, said coiler lgear having a passageway into and through which the sliver travels, said passageway extending downwardly and radially from an upper end located on said vertical axis to a lower eccentric end, said plate having an opening (for passage of the sliver from said pasageway lower eccentric end into said can, rollers for feeding and advancing the sliver through said passageway, a housing mounted on said lower plate coacting therewith and said coiler gear to provide walls of a chamber into which said upper end of said passageway extends, a conduit extending through said walls, and means associated with said conduit supplying a gaseous pressure force to said chamber therethrough to cause gas to flow through said passageway from said chamber, said flow accompanying the sliver fed and advanced by said rollers to insure against clogging and to deliver the sliver into the can for said helical stacking.

2. In the apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said gaseous pressure supplying means provides a gaseous pressure in said chamber on the order of .035 lb. per square inch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 432,132 Francis July 15, 1890 1,962,265 Wenzel June 12, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,712 Great Britainof 1869 

